Press Release

10th October 2011

Commemorative Journal Peace and Harmony The Divine Spectra of China's

Fragrant Harbour: A Collection of 108 Aloes of Sacred Scripture and Related
Artifacts manifesting the spirit of gratitude and peace and harmony
Photos: www.3trinity.hk/press/agarwood/4
The Commemorative Journal, Peace and Harmony The Divine Spectra of China's
Fragrant Harbour: A Collection of 108 Aloes of Sacred Scripture and Related
Artifacts is an elaborate work published by Dr. Paul Kan, renowned collector and
Chair of Champion Technology Group, along with the exhibition of the same. Just as
the previous journals Peace and Harmony The Divine Spectra of Avalokitesvara
from Tibet, China A Collection of 108 Sacred Avalokitesvara Statues and Related
Artifacts and Peace and Harmony The Divine Spectra of Manjusri enshrining the
Wisdom of China A Collection of 108 Sacred Manjusri Statues and Related
Artifacts presented in 2007 and 2009 respectively, the new Commemorative Journal
showcases and introduces hundreds of invaluable exhibits. This year, the highlights
are agarwood carvings of various sizes including statues of Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas, secular sculptures, furniture, decorative pieces and ornaments. Also
featured are a range of items relating to the incense culture such as treasures of
Buddha worship in Chinese royal families, censers, incense tools, incense vessels
and perfume bottles from all over the world; as well as agarwood pieces of various
species. All the agarwood carvings are annotated in detail. For the first time, the
Commemorative Journal comprises chapters expounding different species and
functions of agarwood, arts and cultures relating to incense, the history and
development of incense and spices and their respective products in different parts of
the world across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, etc., and above all, Hong Kongs
special tie with agarwood. The 300-page journal offers more than an impressive art
catalogue. It provides a comprehensive account of scent and a miniature of the
wisdom of civilization, manifesting the spirit of gratitude and peace and harmony.
As in the past, the Commemorative Journal is graced by a foreword written by Dr. Kan
himself. The inscription by Ms. Dong Zhenghe, Top Calligrapher and Research Fellow
of the Palace Museum, Beijing, has made it even more special, as are the messages
from Mr. Tang Hoi-chiu, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art; Dr. Joseph
Ting, Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and
former Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of History; and the consuls-general
of various countries.

Peace and Harmony The Divine Spectra of China's Fragrant Harbour: A Collection of
108 Aloes of Sacred Scripture and Related Artifacts
Not for Sale. Published only for private collection and charity purposes. In order to raise funds
for A Better Tomorrow, the Commemorative Journal will be distributed to donors at the
Exhibition as a gift.
Please kindly refer to the website of Peace and Harmony: www.xiang-he.org for details or
reach the 24-hour hotline 2898 6683.

About Dr. Paul Kan CBE, Com OSSI, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, SBS, JP
Dr. Paul Kan is the Founder and Chair of three information technology companies (Champion
Technology Holdings Limited, Kantone Holdings Limited, and DIGITALHONGKONG.COM)
which are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Dr. Kan is also Chair of A Better Tomorrow;
Chinese World Cultural Heritage Foundation; and World Cultural Relics Protection Foundation.
He is a fervent supporter of the information technology industry and is currently Chairman of
Hong Kong IT Alliance and Honorary Chairman of the Hong Kong Information Technology
Industry Council. As an aficionado and connoisseur of art and culture, Dr. Kan is the Patron of
International Foundation for Art Research; Member of Arts and Treasures Evaluation
Committee, Ministry of Culture, China; and Executive Committee Member of Hong Kong Youth
Arts Foundation. Dr. Kans contribution to the development of technology, arts and culture has
received worldwide recognition. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Government of
the HKSAR in 2006; awarded Commander of the most Excellent Order of the British Empire
(CBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2006; Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella della
Solidarieta Italiana (Comm OSSI) by the Italian Prime Minister Hon. Romano Prodi in 2006;
Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the French Government in 2007; and Silver Bauhinia Star
(SBS) by the Government of the HKSAR in 2009. In 2011, he was appointed Honorary Consul of
the Republic of Hungary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau
Special Administrative Region.
About agarwood
Agarwood is known by various names in different cultures. In addition to agarwood, agar,
aloeswood, aloes, aloewood and aloe in English, it is known as chenxiang,
chenshuixiang and shuichenxiang in Chinese, aguru in Sanskrit, oud in Arabic and
gaharu in Indonesian. As an extremely rare and precious aromatic natural resource,
agarwood has won the epithet of the King of Incenses. The fragrance of agarwood mainly
comes from aloewood oil (or agarwood resin). According to the perspective of current botany,
agarwood is the resinous heartwood that forms in four families of trees, namely
Thymelaeaceae (mainly in the genus Aquilaria), Burseraceae, Lauraceae and Euphorbiaceae.
When a tree is infected by fungi caused by certain external factors, resulting in pathological
transformation, it begins to produce and accumulate aromatic resin in response to such an
attack. Agarwood is named chenxiang which literally means sinking incense in Chinese
because some agarwood is so dense and hard that it sinks in water. Superior agarwood is very
often a product of over a hundred years, among which Kinam is the best. Except for the
supreme ones, the scent of agarwood is usually not noticeable under normal circumstances,
but once the wood is burnt, an intense aroma will emit and linger over a long period. Such
fragrance varies according to numerous factors including tree types, places of origin, climate,
and the quality of water and soil.

Website of Peace and Harmony The Divine Spectra of China's Fragrant Harbour
with 108 Aloes of Sacred Scripture and Related Artifacts exhibition:
www.xiang-he.org
Personal website of Dr. Paul Kan: www.paulkan.com
Released by:
Trinity International Limited
On behalf of Champion Technology Holdings Limited
Tel: 3583 3100
Fax: 3583 1331
Homepage: www.3trinity.hk Email: info@3trinity.hk
For further details, please contact Miss Helena Hui at 9534 0813 or Miss Adrienne
Wong at 9450 9757.